OK, maybe Coachella isn’t happening this year. But Saturday, May 2, Covchella, an online music and arts festival, will stream live on the Twitch platform. Covchella’s lineup features 14 Oregon-based musicians, many from Eugene, and the event, organized by Richard Lathrop, an electronic artist performing as Ghostnaps, benefits FOOD for Lane County.
Lathrop launched the event as a way to give back during COVID-19. He also wanted to provide a way for artists to take advantage of the current boom in live streaming. “FOOD for Lane County is really doing incredible things in this confusing, terrifying time,” Lathrop says, “and I want to help give them as much support as possible.”
Each artist performing will stream from their own space, with assistance provided by Lathrop to ensure audio quality and consistency. In addition to Lathrop, Eugene rock band The Macks will also perform at the event. Performing to no in-person audience via a live stream is pretty close to the real thing, Macks guitarist Ben Windheim says. He’s also happy to help out a local organization like FOOD for Lane County. “It was a no-brainer,” he says.
Also appearing at Covchella is Kelly Gehlen, a DJ and EDM producer based in Eugene who performs as DJ Kellalit. Gehlen says when Lathrop asked her to be involved in the event, she was ecstatic, but the live-streaming experience takes some getting used to. “Performing on live streams is different because there isn’t anyone directly in your face to feed off,” she says. “However, the high of performing live is still there.”
As an artist, Gehlen has felt the impact of COVID-19, and she’s happy to use this opportunity to reach out to others in need of help during this time. “There is a whole world of people who need assistance,” she says. “It’s great that we can all do this for a cause.”
Covchella is 4 pm Saturday, May 2, on the Twitch platform; FREE with suggested donation, proceeds benefit FOOD for Lane County. For a full lineup, search Covchella Online Music Festival on Facebook.
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